Px 827/250CP. Etched 8/4 on base of fount. As received (with Optimus Glass): Stripped lantern down. Cleaned all external areas with Autosol and OOOO grade wire wool. Internal working brass parts, soaked in citric acid and used wire wool to clean up. The Preston loop required particular attention as it was heavily clogged. Used a mixture of citric acid soaks and threading wire through the loop to clear the loop as best possible. Changed glass for a spare 250CP Petromax Special Glass. Fitted new seals throughout. One hitch during the re-built. I had to adjust the clocking of the Rapid Pre-Heat as it fowled the frame when the frame was added - this became apparent due to the loss of pressure from the Rapid Pre-Heat (the hissing of escaping air alerted me). Reassembly, and pressure test - All ok: Rapid Pre-heat testing: Test run: A "straight" lantern that has been worked hard at some point in its life. It is nice to see the period features for the 1950's (Rapid Pre-Heat switch, slightly brown colored control wheel and pump knob) and the "Made in Germany" markings on the hood, inner hood and fount.
Nice lamp Made at a time when the economy was slowly reviving. But the date cannot be correct. Please take a great photo of the scratch. Maybe the numbers are upside down. Regards Reinhard
@Alex Smith This is difficult to read. But for me it's 5/8 or 2/8. Wait and see what the others say. Reinhard
@Reinhard Thank you, 5/8 it is. Question, I presume 827's were not in production in 1954, hence the question of the dates? Regards, Alex Mods - would it please be possible to change the title to read "Petromax 827/250CP May 1958" please?
@Alex Smith In 1954 there was also the Petromax 827, but it was another 827,collectors call it "Sicke" in Germany. Sicke = bead. Four beads in the tank for the 4 feet of the support frame. Regards Reinhard
@Alex Smith I don't know why they always had the guys with the worst hand writing doing the date scratching, but here I'm sorry to say that I can only read 8/4. No way to discover a 5. He would have started with 8 on the left, using the free space below on the bottom to support his hand, and not the other way out of the free air. I assume the job had to be done in a short time, so this is the way to do it. The pre heater lever (domino rapid) on your lamp started in 1954 as confirmed in different posts in a German forum. So everything goes together. The sicke tanks seem to have started around this year as well, but obviously not exclusively. Matthias
Matthias, thank you for your thoughts, they are appreciated and help shed some light on the difficulties of interpreting hand scratched dates and production runs of the era. It all helps build our knowledge of these lanterns. To be honest, I am pleased to have found a good 1950's era 827. I enjoyed the fettle, and she runs very well. Regards, Alex @LatMag49
According to patent De1023431. 8/6 is the earliest possible date for this support frame mounted on this tank. Every good Petromax collector knows that the ribbed support frame was not ribbed for a while but was smooth. I think about 2 years. One can also disagree about the correct position of stratching the numbers on the tank bottom.
